BANGOR, Maine — A Chester man remained jailed Wednesday after being accused of choking his pregnant girlfriend during an argument that began when he said they should give their baby a name suggested by his ex-girlfriend, officials said.

Chad Savage, 24, of Chester turned himself in to Lincoln police on Tuesday and was charged with felony aggravated assault and domestic violence assault. He remained at Penobscot County Jail on $25,000 bail late Wednesday.

“The victim said they were arguing over prospective baby names and it got violent,” District Court Judge Bruce Jordan said during Savage’s court appearance. “The allegation is that he choked her and struck her quite a few times.”

Savage is accused of lifting the 22-year-old victim by the throat during the argument, which occurred in the basement of his mother’s house in Lincoln. Savage also allegedly yelled, “If you call police they will never find you,” at the 22-year-old as he later stood outside the fence line at Northeast Occupational Exchange in Lincoln, said Lincoln police Sgt. Glenn Graef.

“She was seeking a safe haven,” Graef said Wednesday. “She felt safe at NOE because she had been there before.”

Graef complimented workers at NOE, a secure facility with worker-monitored auto-locking doors, for handling well a stressful situation. They kept their distance from Savage and immediately got the victim inside their facility, he said.

A friend of the woman’s drove her to NOE.

When Graef and Officer Vernon McMoarn got to the building, Savage wasn’t there, Graef said. Graef said he noted red marks on the woman’s neck consistent with her claim of being assaulted, got in touch with county dispatchers to let them know Savage was a suspect in the incident and briefly searched for him with McMoarn.

Savage telephoned police on Tuesday from the couple’s Chester trailer and offered to surrender.

During Wednesday’s court appearance, Assistant District Attorney Brendan Trainor asked that bail be set at $50,000 based on the allegations and Savage’s criminal record, which includes another domestic violence assault against a different woman.

Jordan set Savage’s bail at $25,000 and also barred him from contacting the victim and another woman. Jordan scheduled a dispositional conference for Savage on Sept. 3 and appointed Terence Harrigan as his court-appointed attorney.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.